A 59-year-old man experiences acute chest pain and is rushed to the emergency room. Laboratory studies and ECG demonstrate an acute myocardial infarction; however, coronary artery angiography performed 2 hours later does not show evidence of thrombosis. Which of the following mediators of inflammation causes relaxation of vascular smooth muscle cells and vasodilation of arterioles at the site of myocardial infarction in the patient?

Nitric oxide. Nitric oxide (NO), which was previously known as endothelium-derived relaxing factor, leads to relaxation of vascular smooth muscle cells and vasodilation of arterioles. NO also inhibits platelet aggregation and mediates the killing of bacteria and tumor cells by macrophages. Histamine (choice B), leukotrienes (choice C), and thromboxane A2 (choice E) stimulate the contraction of smooth muscle cells.Diagnosis: Acute myocardial infarction